Cool sea breeze caressed the bodies that sprawled on the cracked asphalt beneath a spatial anomaly.One of the bodies moved and stirred, before opening his eyes.His brown eyes scanned the floor since it was the first thing it saw.“Asphalt?” The person muttered before a smile slowly crept to his face. “Asphalt?!”He screamed in happiness and kissed the floor multiple times, caressing it with his hands.“Stop being noisy fodder!” Nelson's voice came out angrily at the noisemaker.“Sorry. I'm just excited that we're back home.” Chuck said nervously with a genuine smile.Nelson glared at him before softening his expression and finally smiling softly.“Yeah, no place like ho- oh my God!” Nelson was about to acknowledge Chuck’s words when he turned his gaze to the horizon.Everyone's gaze was glued to the horizon.“Where did New York go?” Eric asked with a befuddled expression plastered on his face.“Is this even New York and not a random position in the world?” Amy asked him with a stif
The sun had long set and the platform was looking severely brittle with numerous cracks and fissures running along its form.“Whenever you're ready, sis.” Eric said with a nod.She was standing at the edge of the platform, her eyes on the large expanse of ocean before her.She steadied her breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly.“I'm ready.” She said with a nervous nod and her breath turned cold, mists of low temperatures exuding from her every breath.The surrounding temperatures dropped steadily as she prepared herself.The others as well tensed their bodies, ready to execute Eric's plan.Erica walked back from the edge by about four steps and then ran forward and leapt off the edge of the platform.She held her breath as she plummeted for the dark waters below. The wind rushed past her face, blowing her hair upwards. Her heart was pounding hard in her throat as she fell but she tried to keep calm.She closed her eyes and pushed her hands forward towards the water. From her core, s
Eric was beaming at the additional rewards he got from the system and when he performed his usual action of nudging his nose bridge, his friends just simply rolled their eyes.“Here we go again.” Matt said when he heard Eric's statement. “Besides, you aren't the only one who got something good from the system. So pipe down bro.”He had a slight frown on his face.“Chill. What are you getting vexed for? Sure, y’all got good rewards and all that. But compared to mine? It's not as fun or exciting.” Eric grinned.Nelson let out a sigh and shook his head. “Speak for yourself, fodder. With this boost that I got as rewards, I'm eternally sure I can beat you in a duel.” Nelson spoke rather confidently, his face adorned with a soft and subtle smile.“That's some mad confidence you've got there, Nel. You wouldn't even want to call Eric a fodder after what he pulled at shelltear or was it shaltear?” Chuck responded, stroking his chin as he asked.“Shayal'Teir dummy. The system has shown you thi
You have something that I want and I have come to collect it. What the hell is that? What is in my possession that he could want? Why does he even know me? Who even is this? He's so strong.Eric's thoughts whirred like an engine in overdrive as he tried to figure out who the enemy was and what he wanted exactly.{What do we do?}Amy's voice echoed in his head and he briefly glanced in her direction before facing the enemy again and exhaling.{We court death. That's what we've always been doing and we don't plan to stop now. Just avoid his touch, he seems to be a user of a skill known as Theft and yes, it does whatever you think it does. It could also be his trait.}Eric paused his mental speech momentarily before adding again.{Although I don't know what his limitations are, treat him as though he can steal anything from you, including your very life. Be very careful.}“Insidious.” Amy whispered and drew her blade, a searing heat spreading throughout the surroundings in an instant. A
‘What is this feeling of dread?’ The intruder thought as he jumped backwards, away from Eric.As he was trying to confront Eric again, another one came for him from above aiming to smash the pole on him at high speeds.He jumped sideways avoiding the strike and ready to face the two assailants when another one seemingly materialised behind him with a flaming sword in hand ready to decapitate him.He launched into the air, totally avoiding the strike and landing somewhere far away but still able to see them.Immediately he landed, he was hit by a golden beam from a floating wraith like entity but he was barely affected so he shrugged it off.“Damn, he's so fast!” Chuck couldn't help but mutter audibly.“He's like a rat, slipping through attacks like a fat little b*tch.” Nelson cursed angrily, floating over the water.“He's too dangerous. He's still toying with us.” Amy said, brandishing her flaming sword again ready for another clash.Eric, however, had something else on his mind.‘He
He could feel it in every cell in his body. Just a prey running from a predator, he was aware that this intruder wasn't dead.All throughout the fight, Eric's mind’s gears were spinning to determine what he could have in his possession that this stranger coveted so much.Nelson had managed to deal a devastating blow to the intruder, causing him to sink into the sea’s depth.Nelson held his flaming staff, levitating over the sea, feeling smug about the fact that he was the only one that had done notable damage to the intruder. At least, that's what he thought.Amy had her brows creased but she wasn't as tense and hopeless as before.Chuck was elated that the enemy had seemingly taken damage after all his dodging.Eric was the only one in a battle stance and it was for this reason that Amy hadn't let her guard down. The one with the highest perception capability in the entire cohort was Eric and if he's tense enough to hold and maintain a battle stance, a quick strike stance at that, ev
The entire cohort was upon the strong entity before them, ready to decimate him with their abilities when he suddenly chanted, amidst smiling.“Cycle of the Wild, Initiate the Hunt!”…[Cycle of the Wild: The Hunt has been initiated.][Your stats have been improved by 14%.][Stats will improve by 2% every minute till it's on a 50% increase.]…The system screen popped up in front of the stranger and he straightened his shoulders and exhaled, feeling the inflow of energy into his body, before facing them all.Several wraiths were soon upon him but their form seemed to crumble, before reaching him, after he ‘jabbed’ his hands into them and plucked out some stones from their forms.Soon, Eric was upon the stranger ready to slash at him with his signature weapon but the stranger effortlessly caught it and used his strength to divert its trajectory only for the sword to unleash the fury of the energies contained within upon him.The relative immediate area around them exploded upwards but
Nelson and the others looked at the hand that emerged from the void, clutching the staff-turned-spear.The hand stretched outwards, emerging from the void. Soon, an elbow region emerged, followed by a shoulder and and head. Then, the torso was visible and lastly, the legs came out from the void.The golden forcefield closed behind the new stranger, isolating Eric and Amy within.The eyes of everyone outside was one of horror and shock. This newcomer bore a likeness to the new stranger that came to attack them initially.This… is… cloning? He cloned himself?! As though one of him wasn't enough?! Nelson raged and lamented in his mind as he stared at the clone holding on to his spear.“It's a clone but it's just slightly stronger than us.” Matt confirmed with a stern expression. “It's most likely a Peak Awakened Grade 1 entity. It's within reach.” Matt added before materialising a white futuristic katana with a glowing blue laser edge.“Good.” Nelson said with a dark expression before o